Confectionary Holding at Cologne ISM

The agri-food group, Confectionary Holding, expects to lift its exports more than 8% in its 2018-2019 financial year (ends March 31), thanks to product innovation and its assortments of flavours and products, like the Bandejas 1880 range.

Following a good Christmas campaign, the Alicante-based company, owner of brands such as 1880, Doña Jimena, El Lobo, and Imperial Toledana, is taking part in the international trade fair for sweets and snacks, ISM Cologne (Germany), at which it will present its latest products and try to boost its export growth.

Confectionary Holding currently exports 15% of its production to more than 40 countries in Europe, the US, Latin America, and the Near East and far East, and it expects to continue increasing its penetration in those markets where it already has a presence, especially in those where the position is well consolidated. At the same time, it will also be opening new sales channels in target markets.

As for the Christmas campaign, which accounts for some 65% of the group’s turnover, the CEO, Andrés Cortijos, has said “in general, and without yet having the definitive figures, we are expecting to close the Christmas campaign with year-on-year sales growth in both our domestic and international markets”. For Cortijos, the Christmas fare market is increasingly competitive, and he added “the group will continue to grow thanks to its value-added products, increased distribution, and diversification via the incorporation of other sales channels and the strategic alliances put in place with other companies”. He also pointed out that the group’s online sales were continuing the positive trend seen over the last few years and that the company is forecasting growth of more than 35%.

For this year (2019), Confectionary Holding will be focusing on growth in other non-Christmas sweet categories, the aim being to reduce the seasonal nature of sales via different kinds of products. The new line of healthy snacks 1880 Vida Natural and El Lobo Estilo Natural, Spread Creams, the product conceived for multi-channel development (retail distribution, catering, and industrial) and Wafer Florbú biscuits, filled with El Lobo nougat; these are the products with which the group hopes to reduce the seasonal nature of its sales. At the same time, it will continue to encourage the launch of innovative products, which currently account for more than 20% of turnover.

NEW PRODUCTS FOR ISM COLOGNE

The main new products that Confectionary Holding will be presenting at Cologne ISM include the new Bandeja 1880, which makes it the first Christmas fare brand with an exclusively dark chocolate (70%) assortment, made up of nougats, pralines, and chocolates. The group will also be presenting the improvements to its selections in the Bandejas 1880 ready-to-use line, where new products have been introduced.

Confectionary Holding will also be announcing its recent strategic alliance with the biscuit manufacturer, Florbú, the aim of which has been to develop a wafer filled with El Lobo nougat. It will also be setting in motion the international launch of the 1880 and El Lobo healthy snacks range, made with fine and natural ingredients, including almonds and honey, with no palm oil or added sugar or gluten.

The new product line “1880 Vida Natural” is made up of different flavoured bars: dark chocolate (70%) and almonds; Jijona nougat snacks and bars made up of 65% almond and 35% honey; and also caramelised almonds in an individual format, the idea being to make healthy products compatible with moments of pleasure.

The “El Lobo Estilo Natural” range contains dried fruits, including almonds and peanuts with chocolate, Alicante nougat, Jijona nougat, and two choices without added sugar: almond imperial nougat and almond cream nougat. There are also small truffles in individual containers.